One of her violin strings broke. Without stopping the music, she borrowed the concertmaster's instrument. Another string broke. Still cool, she borrowed the acting associate concertmaster's.

When the performance ended, the crowd went berserk. The New York Times made her front-page news.

Now 35 and long past prodigy-hood, Midori has grown up to be a widely esteemed artist whose career spans orchestra engagements, teaching, recitals with pianist Robert McDonald, and supervising three foundations — two in the United States, one in Japan.

Before her upcoming Houston concert, she answered questions via e-mail.

Q: Do you feel you were prepared psychologically and socially for the scrutiny and attention you received as a teenager?

A: Fortunately, my focus during that time was on my school work and violin studies, and I was not terribly distracted by what the newspapers were saying. I heard some things, yes, but these things did not complicate my thoughts or my life that much. We all hear "things" as children — that is not special to child musicians.

Q: Why do some child talents make the successful transition and other don't?

A: There is no formula for success, prodigy or not. We must also remember that it may be the choice of the individual not to pursue the field that he or she may have been active in as a child.

Q: You have been working on a master's degree related to pain. Have you finished the degree?

A: Yes, I wrote my thesis about explaining pain to children. (It was a children's book.) I successfully defended my thesis in September 2005, and now hold a master's degree in psychology from NYU.

Q: Over the years, you have diversified your career into other activities. When did you decide to make that change?

A: I founded Midori & Friends in 1992, at the height of government budget cuts that were resulting in the fast disappearance of arts and music from public school curricula. All of my projects have a common goal of maintaining the availability and accessibility of music.

Q: I have been fascinated by the large number of highly successful musicians who have similarly expanded their careers (e.g., violinists conducting, or Yo-Yo Ma doing his Silk Road project).

Is it harder for artists in a 24/7 world to maintain an intense interest in the core of their career — public performances of standard repertoire? How do you continue to find fresh ideas about, say, the Brahms concerto?

A: When I play a piece, I feel that the music takes on a life inside me. My feelings about a work, from the classics to the contemporary, change constantly along with my life's dynamic, so interpretations transform on a daily basis.

Q: Are you learning any new works?

A: Robert McDonald and I will premiere a brand-new work by the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara called Lost Landscapes in Europe later this month..